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Canada got the last hurrah at the Celebration of Light Saturday evening, closing the three-night event with a winning display. Canada was declared the winner of the event, with Brazil and China finishing second and third, respectively.

Photograph by: Jean Levac
, Ottawa Citizen

Health Canada is blaming an administrative error for a privacy breach that led to the agency mailing 40,000 letters in envelopes that exposed people as medical marijuana users.

The mistake is an ironic twist in the controversial plan to shut down medical grow ops, given that Health Canada has refused to tell municipalities where the growers are located, citing their right to privacy.

A statement from George Da Pont, deputy health minister, was posted on the Health Canada website after medical pot smokers accused the federal government Thursday of violating their privacy and safety.

“I have been advised that as the result of an administrative error the envelopes were labelled to indicate that they were sent by the program. This is not standard Health Canada practice,” Da Pont said, in the statement.

“On behalf of Health Canada, I deeply regret this administrative error. Health Canada is taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.”

Da Pont said health officials are discussing the issue with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Health Canada sent the letters to people across the country to inform them of changes to the Marijuana Medical Access Program beginning April 1. But the envelope contained wording that included “Medical Marijuana Access Program” and the user’s name and address on the envelope.

The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries issued a statement on Friday expressing outrage over the blunder. The group’s president Adam Greenblatt said the breach violates patient rights and undermines Health Canada’s attempts at reforming their medical cannabis program.

“If Health Canada is trying to instil confidence in a mail-order distribution system for medical cannabis, they are not off to a good start,” he said, in the statement.

Greenblatt also said the letters contained information about the reasons behind Health Canada’s regulatory reform, which ironically includes an increased risk of home invasion for patients who grow their own pot.

“Patients are already very concerned that their personal medical information will be turned over to police and realtors when Health Canada revokes their permits next year.” he said.

By next spring, the federal government will ask roughly 13,000 licensed marijuana growers across the province to shut down their operations because of concerns the program is being abused.

But many Metro Vancouver mayors say the federal government has no plan to enforce the closings, and won’t tell municipalities where the operations are, citing a lack of authority and the growers’ rights to privacy.

The mayors are concerned there will be no way to ensure the sites where growing operations are currently located are safe for neighbours or future homebuyers. And they don’t believe any growers who were already flouting the federal rules will close up shop.

Health Canada only tells police whether a pot grower they are investigating has a licence once officers are about to execute a search warrant.

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